Chinese internet company Tencent has signed a partnership with world football’s governing body Fifa under which it has secured exclusive digital media rights for video-on-demand and live streaming of the forthcoming Confederations Cup national team tournament in mainland China.
The Confederations Cup, which gets underway in Russia tomorrow (Saturday), will be streamed exclusively live by Tencent Sports. The deal also includes exclusive new media rights to the Under-17 World Cup, which is being hosted in India from October 6-28.
The agreement represents the first exclusive partnership between Fifa and the mainland digital media industry in China. Tencent will provide live steaming, video-on-demand, original programs, highlights and additional coverage of the two tournaments through Tencent Sports, QQ.com, Tencent Video and Penguin Live, in addition to its social media platforms, such as Weixin and QQ.
Fifa’s chief commercial officer, Philippe Le Floc’h, said: “This agreement with Tencent marks our most significant collaboration yet with China’s digital media sector, and serves as a key step forward for Fifa.”